1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to submersible power supplies wherein electrical power is generated by hydro-motive force and the electronics are contained in a water tight housing.
2. Related Art
Many environments requiring a supply of electrical power to an underwater site are hazardous due to the presence of flammable materials at the power supply site. In such environments a single spark can cause a fire or even an explosion.
The presence of oil or toxic fumes either on deck or in the holds make an oil tanker a particularly dangerous environment for the generation of electrical power. In order to inspect and/or clean the tanks or holds of large oil tankers, it is desirable to employ a remotely operated undersea vehicle (ROV) to minimize inefficient manual procedures. Almost all ROVs require the generation of electrical power. While electrical generation systems exist which attempt to isolate the electronics from their surrounding environment, they all generate the electrical power above the surface of the water. Any sparks which escape from such systems are a substantial hazard.
It is highly desirable to provide electrical energy in hazardous environments in an intrinsically safe manner. That is, if the source of energy ignites or explodes, a secondary explosion should not occur in the environment.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system which supplies electrical power to an underwater site without the presence of electrical components above the surface.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an intrinsically safe system for supplying electrical power to an underwater site.
It will be seen how these and other objects are achieved by the following description.